they were for teenagers and those in the eighteen-
to-twenty-four-year-old range. Running and jogging
claimed more than 40 million active participants na-
tionwide, and many of these people were marathon
runners. During the 1980’s, marathons in places
such as Boston and New York City regularly attracted
more than twenty thousand runners. Even more
spectators lined up along the twenty-six mile routes
to watch these events.
Women-only running events, such as the L’eggs
Mini Marathon in New York’s Central Park, regularly
attracted more than six thousand participants. By
1987,Timemagazine reported that there were more
than twenty thousand health clubs nationwide, with
over $5 billion spent on membership. Meanwhile,
Americans spent over $700 million on exercise equip-
ment for their homes, and more than 33 million
people trained with weights, did aerobics, and walked
for fitness. In conjunction with this trend, many fit-
ness books and videos were best sellers.Jane Fonda’s
Workout Video(1983) was the top-selling video in the
mid-1980’s; she followed this success with five other
best-selling workout videos, spawning a series of
exercise books and exercise videos by celebrities
including Raquel Welch, Richard Simmons, and
Angela Lansbury.
Impact Leisure habits in the 1980’s were domi-
nated by a developing electronic technology that
gave a certain nostalgia to the decade and trans-
formed the manner in which Americans spent their
leisure time. This domination began a trend that
would continue, as Americans came to devote more
time to sedentary electronic pursuits and less time to
physical activities.
Further Reading
Cross, Gary S., ed.Encyclopedia of Recreation and Lei-
sure in America. 2 vols. Farmington Hills, Mich.:
Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2004. Includes entries
on many activities popular in the 1980’s.
Gartner, William C., and David W. Lime, eds.Trends
in Outdoor Recreation, Leisure, and Tourism. New
York: CABI, 2000. A study of outdoor pursuits,
both near home and in the context of travel.
Gelber, Steven M.Hobbies: Leisure and the Culture of
Work in America. New York: Columbia University
Press, 1999. Cultural-studies approach to hobbies
and recreation that looks at the development of a
work-centered culture and its detrimental effects
on leisure-time activities.
Giordano, Ralph G.Fun and Games in Twentieth-
Centur y America: A Historical Guide to Leisure. West-
port, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2003. Overview of
the twentieth century that contextualizes trends
of the 1980’s.
Goodale, Thomas L., and Peter A. Witt, eds.Recre-
ation and Leisure: Issues in an Era of Change. 3d ed.
State College, Pa.: Venture, 1991. Another study
emphasizing changing trends in leisure and the
effects of the economy on hobbies and recre-
ational pursuits.
Hoffmann, Frank W., and William G. Bailey.Sports
and Recreation Fads. New York: Harrington Park,- A look at fads and other flash-in-the-pan
trends in American leisure.
Munson, Robert S.Favorite Hobbies and Pastimes: A
Sourcebook of Leisure Pursuits. Chicago: American
Library Association, 1994. Handbook of hobbies
that explains their nature and appeal to prospec-
tive hobbyists.
Nasaw, David.Going Out: The Rise and Fall of Public
Amusements. New York: Basic Books, 1993. Study
of leisure activities in the public sphere and their
downfall in the new economy.
Williams, Stephen.Tourism and Recreation. New York:
Prentice Hall, 2003. Analyzes the relationship be-
tween travel and leisure.
Martin J. Manning
See also Action films; Advertising; Baseball; Bas-
ketball; Cable television; Children’s television; Film
in the United States; Football; Golf; Hip-hop and
rap; Hockey; MTV; Music; Music videos; Pop music;
Science-fiction films; Sports; Television; Toys and
games; Video games and arcades.Hockey
Definition Team sport
Hockey remained the national game of Canada during the
1980’s. The sport also garnered substantial worldwide at-
tention in 1980, when the United States surprised observers
by winning the gold medal in the Winter Olympics. This
victor y, combined with the acquisition by the Los Angeles
Kings of superstar player Wayne Gretzky in 1988, resulted
in a dramatic increase in U.S. hockey fandom.
Hockey experienced increased popularity in the
1980’s. The rise in interest occurred for two reasons.The Eighties in America Hockey 471